Speech Debelle - Sunday Dinner on a Monday
(Monday Sessions Records)
Release Date: Out Now
First up, apologies for not sharing this earlier - I've developed such an affection for this album that I held on to it for too long but, as the saying goes, if you love something set it free. The brilliant Speech Debelle has returned with her new album 'Sunday Dinner on a Monday' and this is one that you can really let yourself be immersed in. 'Curry Mutton' gets us underway with bubbling melodies and a time capsule of spoken word recording before Debelle's flow joins in for the first time. On 'Away From Here' we get a groove going with a sway and a stream consciousness about escaping the rat race for a while which we can all relate to.
'11:11' has an almost child-like quality to the melody but the beat is fully grown up and that vocal delivery keeps you hooked in as every word bubbles and crackles with energy. There's an incredibly uplifting energy to 'Come Your Way' which has a sound of summer to it before 'Bless Us' continues the vibe and takes us on a floating journey through summer days spent in parks surrounding by friends. There's a real shift in energy on '101010' as the 90s rave inspired synths hit hard from the get-go but then Debelle's flow takes control and we are taking on odyssey. 'Susu' follows next with a super-low bass line and the kind of vocals that could call sailors to their death while 'DNA' fizzes and cracks with a combination of beats and nostalgia.
This is 16 track collection of songs that all have a personal story which we are all privileged to listen in on but this is not a two way conversation, we are the audience and she is the story teller. 'A Reading', for example, blends delicate melodies and sparse beats with a smoky saxophone all to create a bed for Debelle's dusky vocals to unfurl across luxuriously. 'Atlantis' shimmies and sways beautifully with some classic R'n'B vibes before 'Magic' fills the air with an intoxicating sound that will have your shoulders moving in time with the beat. Those sprinkled keys and woozy beats continue in to 'Ital' which should be listened to on big, quality headphones so you can properly lose yourself in the swirling sounds.
The final trio tracks starts with 'Wayward' full of rippling acoustic guitar notes and an urgent beat stitched together by those blissed-out vocals that we love so much. 'Exercise', the penultimate track, has a big, harder-edged energy but still the melodies ripple and roll brilliantly. The album closes out with 'Sweet Dreams', a dramatic and hard-hitting track that would be fitting for the end of any album. Speech Debelle has gone for both quality and quantity on this album and has been successful on both fronts so, as I said, wrap your ears around this one and let it wrap itself around you.
More information: https://twitter.com/speechdebelle
Live Dates:
10th Oct – The Louisiana, Bristol
11th Oct – Portland Arms, Cambridge
13th Oct – Jazz Café, London
14th Oct - Zerox, Newcastle
15th Oct – SWG3 – Poetry Club, Glasgow
17th Oct – O2 Institute 3, Birmingham
18th Oct – Canvas, Manchester